Kiddie Adventure
by juandelacruz
Summary: When chibi Ukyou tripped chasing after chibi Ranma and the yattai, Ranma jumps down to help her up instead of simply waving goodbye. Genma doesn't notice and leaves the two kids behind. Ranma, accompanied by Ukyou, decides to try to catch up.
1. One Giant Leap

Kiddie Adventure.   
by Alex Tomas   
  
This is my second work of fan fiction. Reviews still welcome.   
  
Disclaimer:   
  
I do not own Ranma or any other anime series.   
  
Conventions:   
  
" " = Japanese   
{ } = foreign language (Chinese, English)   
[ ] = sound effects   
' ' = thoughts   
# # = signs   
- - = emphasis   
  
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Summary:   
  
When chibi-Ukyou tripped chasing after chibi-Ranma and the yattai, Ranma jumps down to help her up instead of simply waving goodbye. Genma doesn't notice and leaves the two kids behind. Ranma, with Ukyou accompanying him, decides to try to catch up and their adventure begins.  
  
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Prologue: One Giant Leap.  
  
Ranma waved cheerfully from the top of the yattai his father was pulling at his best friend Ucchan.   
  
"Sayonara, Ucchan!" He shouted as he waved. A few minutes ago he had been depressed at the thought of leaving his best friend without even saying goodbye. The sight of Ucchan running after them, obviously seeing him off, did much to raise his spirits. He continued to wave as he strained to make out what his best friend was yelling at him.  
  
"You jerks! You said you'd take me with you!" Ukyou Kounji shouted at the top of her lungs. Tears began to form in her eyes as she realized she wouldn't be able to catch up. Still she had to try and continued to run as fast as her little legs could carry her, waving her little fists around, after the fleeing father and son.   
  
Genma glanced back and was so shocked to see the six-year-old girl still keeping up after almost five kilometers he almost lost the okonomiyaki he held in his mouth. 'Damn it! What's it gonna take to lose the girl?!' He redoubled his efforts and ran as fast as he could.  
  
Ukyou did not see the rock on the road as she was wiping her eyes clear of tears causing her to trip with a loud yelp and fall hard on her face.  
  
Ranma's stopped waving and lost the smile on his face when he saw his best friend fall hard on his face. "Ucchan!" With a nimble leap he jumped to ground from the top of the yattai and ran to help his buddy. He didn't notice his father continuing to run at breakneck speed down the road.  
  
Genma, for his part, also didn't notice his son leaping off the yattai. He was too engrossed at making good his escape with the loot before the girl's father realized what was happening.  
  
A kilometer later the two packs fell off the yattai without Ranma to keep an eye on them. Genma remained oblivious to all.  
  
Ukyou began to sob as she realized she had failed her father. Her father told her last night that Uncle Genma had agreed to take her with them. She had been overjoyed to hear that she was going to accompany Ranchan on his travels, his tales about the fun he had on his adventures had enraptured her many a night they had slept side by side, she barely registered the rest of what her father said about the future of their family resting on her shoulders.  
  
She began to pick herself up when she felt hands on her shoulders helping her stand. She looked up to see that those hands belonged to her Ranchan. 'Ranchan came back for me!' The happiness she felt easily wiped away the anger, fear and sadness she felt. She glomped onto Ranma with a vengeance. "Ranchan!" She cried into his chest. Sounds of bones breaking were heard.   
  
"Urk!"  
  
"Ranchan! I was so scared! I thought you'd leave me behind!"  
  
"Urk!" Ranma was turning a little blue.  
  
"When I woke up this morning and you and the yattai were gone I didn't know what to do!"  
  
"Urk!" Ranma's vision was beginning to darken.  
  
"You don't know how happy I was when that little old lady told me she saw you pass by just a few minutes before I asked."  
  
"Urk!" With the last of his breath Ranma managed to croak out a plea. "Ucchan... can't breath... everything getting dark..."  
  
"Eh?" Ukyou pulled her head back to see an unhealthy shade of blue coloring her friend's face. She quickly pulled back her arms. "Ranchan!" Just as quickly she put them around the pony-tailed boy to keep him from falling. "Ranchan, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"  
  
"I'll be okay, Ucchan, just need to get my breath back." Ranma gasped out. He held on her shoulders for support.   
  
"What about you, Ucchan? Are you okay? I saw you take a nasty spill there." Ranma asked once he had sufficient air back in his lungs.   
  
"I'm okay now, Ranchan, thanks for asking."  
  
"What were you doing anyway, Ucchan? I mean I'm glad you went to see me off and all but this is ridiculous."  
  
One of Ukyou's eyebrows twitched. "What was I doing?! You jackass! What were you doing going off without me?!"  
  
"What do you mean 'going off without you'?"  
  
"Didn't your father tell you?! My father and your father agreed! You were supposed to take me with you! We're supposed to be engaged, you jackass!" Ukyou practically screamed in his face.  
  
Ranma didn't notice the scream. He brightened and smiled widely. "Really?! You're coming with us?! That's great! I'm sure we'll have lots of fun together!"  
  
Despite her annoyance Ukyou couldn't help but be infected with Ranma's enthusiasm. She blushed prettily and smiled back. "Really? You mean you'll really take me with you?"  
  
"Sure! If it's okay with your pop, why wouldn't we? Right, pop?" Ranma turned around to see an empty road ahead. "Pop?" He looked around. "Now where did he go off to without me?" He began to rapidly walk down the road in the direction his father was pulling the yattai to. "Com'on, Ucchan, we gotta hurry if we're gonna catch up with pops!"  
  
"But Ranchan!" Ukyou protested once she had pulled even with Ranma. "Isn't it better if we went back to my father and waited for your father there?" Her initial enthusiasm giving way to the reality of them being two six-year-olds alone on a strange road with no adult to accompany them.  
  
Ranma thought about it for a moment without slowing down then shook his head. "I dunno, Ucchan, me and pops never went back to the same place once we left."  
  
"But if he sees you're not with him won't he come back?"  
  
"Yeah, I suppose so." Ranma agreed.  
  
"Then why don't we just go back?" Ukyou was definitely not comfortable being this far away from her father on her own.  
  
Ranma thought about it some more and shook his head again. He didn't relish the thought of facing his father's annoyance at having to come back to get him. "Nah. I'm sure he's just around here somewhere. Com'on Ucchan, if we hurry I'm sure we'll catch up with him."  
  
Ukyou shrugged her small shoulders and continued to follow her friend.  
  
"Um, one thing, Ucchan. What's 'engaged'?"  
  
Ukyou blushed again. "Um, I'm not sure exactly also but I think it means we're always going to be together forever and ever."  
  
"Really?! That's really, really great, Uchhan!" Ranma clapped his best friend on the back enthusiastically.  
  
Ukyou almost staggered from the blows. She let it slide this time. "You really think so, Ranchan?"  
  
"Of course! Why wouldn't I? Just think of all the fun, all the adventures we're gonna have together!"   
  
Ukyou practiacally walked on air in her happiness.  
  
Several kilometers further on, the unpaved and dusty road intersected a major, concrete highway. Genma didn't even slow down as he took a left at the intersection. He didn't stop running until several hours, a few dozen kilometers and several road forks later when his stomach growled signaling lunchtime. He let out a loud shriek when he realized he was missing someone. An even louder shriek when he realized his pack with all the food and saki in it was also gone.  
  
After half an hour of brisk walking Ranma and Ukyou came upon the two packs lying on the road.  
  
"See? Told ya pops is just around here somewhere." Ranma smirked triumphantly. He picked up his pack without effort and handed it to Ukyou. His father's pack was another matter. He could barely lift it. He settled for dragging it to the side of the road.  
  
"Guess I'll hafta get rid of some of the stuff to make it lighter." Ranma grumbled to Ukyou who was trying to make Ranma's pack as comfortable as possible on her back. It wasn't as light as she first thought when she saw Ranma lift it.  
  
Ranma began rummaging through his father's pack. "Aha!" He cried as he started to toss out bottle after bottle of the funny-smelling and bad-tasting water his father was so fond of. He never did figure why. He once took a sip without his father's knowledge and it was enough to make him swear off the stuff for the rest of his life. After a few dozen bottles the pack was light enough for him to carry and put on his shoulders. It was still heavier than his pack but he figured he could manage.  
  
Ukyou had to stifle a giggle at the sight of the huge pack on Ranma's back.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"Oh, nothing much. That pack is as big as you are. What's in it anyway?"  
  
"Oh, camping stuff. You know tents, clothes, some instant ramen. And pop's training manuals and scrolls. Can't leave those behind."  
  
"Obviously not."  
  
"Com'on. We've wasted enough time already." The two started to walk off again, slightly slower now that they had packs on their backs.  
  
Another hour found Ranma and Ukyou at the same intersection in the road Genma took a left at. The two paused as Ranma considered which direction to take. He no longer had the tracks the yattai made to follow.  
  
"Com'on Ranchan, let's just go back and wait." Ukyou pleaded again. She held onto one of the sleeves of Ranma's dogi.  
  
"Don't worry, Ucchan, I know what I'm doing." Again proving the propensity of the male Saotome to get into trouble. He smirked before continuing. "Of course if yer scared we can just go back."  
  
Ukyou bristled at the taunt. There was no way she was going to let her fiance, best friend and rival all-rolled-into-one one up her. She straightened her back and let go of the sleeve. "Me? Scared? Hah! You gotta be kidding! Ain't no way I'm scared! Anything you can do, I can do better!" She said with confidence she didn't really feel.   
  
"Well then, com'on!" With that Ranma confidently took a right turn at the intersection, Ukyou at his side. 'I just hope this is where pops went.'  
  
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Well, how do you folks like the prologue of my second Ranma fanfic? As always reviews are welcome.  
  
Why did I write this? I've always been intrigued by Ryu and the sisters Natsumi and Karumi. I mean they spent most of their life on the road without formal training and yet they were able to develop martial arts skills that were enough to beat Ranma something Akane, Kodachi, Shampoo, Ukyo, Kuno, Mousse, Ryouga (?) were unable to do. Fluke or not they did better than most of the regular Ranma cast. I wondered if I can make a story of making the teen-agers of the Ranmaverse meet up as kids and train and travel together. So it's an adventure type story.  
  
Where do I intend to take this? Well I thought I'd have Ranma and Ukyou meet up with either Ryu or Natsume and Karumi first then maybe Ryouga, the Tendo sisters, Kunos, Shampoo and Mousse. I might even include appearances of Akari, Anna, Kaori, Lychee, Hinako, Copycat Ken, etc.  
  
I'm still undecided on the pairings or if there will even be pairings. I think it'll be fun as guys chase the girls while the girls chase the guys.  
  
Also undecided is if I'll cross this with other series.  
  
With so many things up in the air I am definitely open to suggestions. So don't be shy, I don't bite.  
  
One thing is sure though, since this is an AU the characters will be somewhat OOC. How OOC? Well, Ranma won't be as chauvinistic for one, Akane won't be as violent or allergic to boys, Nabiki won't be as mercenary, etc.  
  
Finally, to those waiting for chapter five and the first side-story of my first fanfic, A Mother's Tale, I've got both good news and bad news. The good news is I'm still working on it so it's not dead. The reason it's taking so long is because I can't seem to get the story right. I've already rewritten chapter five and the side story thrice. The bad news is that the compact flash card I was keeping it on got thrashed. Poof! All gone. Bottom line? It's gonna take a some more time before I can update the story as I have to rewrite both from the ground up. Don't worry I'll have them out ASAP.  
  
So till next time, ja ne! 


	2. They grow up so fast

Kiddie Adventure.

by Alex Tomas

This is my second work of fan fiction. Reviews still welcome.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ranma or any other anime series.

Conventions:

"Conversations in Japanese are enclosed between quotation marks."

Conversations in a foreign language like Chinese and English are enclosed between curly brackets.

Sound effects are enclosed between square brackets.

_Thoughts are in italics_

Signs are enclosed between equal signs.

**Emphasis are in bold.**

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Summary:

When chibi-Ukyou tripped chasing after chibi-Ranma and the yattai, Ranma jumps down to help her up instead of simply waving goodbye. Genma doesn't notice and leaves the two kids behind. Chibi-Ranma, accompanied by chibi-Ukyou, decides to try to catch up and their adventure begins.

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Author's notes: Well, it's the first time I've written an Author's notes before a fanfic but I found it unavoidable for this fanfic. Why? Because while trying to write chapter one of this fanfic I found two roadblocks which are the reasons it took me so long to write it. Really. It has nothing to do with me slacking off.

One, it's difficult to write anything believable about two six year old children making it on their own in the real world. But in the Ranma universe it's not an unheard of phenomenon, ie. Ryu Kumon, Natsumi and Kurumi, Lychee. So if you, dear readers, will continue beyond this point please throw everything you know out the window because you're about to enter... Ranma's world. Excellent!

And two, I can't really imagine how six year olds are supposed to act, think, talk, etc. I have two nephews, four actually but two are in Canada, one eight year old and one four year old. No six year old though. Sigh. I'm basing how I write the children on how I remember my eight year old nephew was when he was six. Anyway, if any of you readers can give me pointers I'd really appreciate it.

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Chapter 1: Youth is wasted on the young. So let's just take it away from them.

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"Where is that boy?" Genma grumbled under his breath as he peeked from behind some bushes at their former campsite.

After finding out that he had lost Ranma somewhere along the way he was faced with the dilemma of where to start looking. He could have lost his son anywhere along the path he had taken from here to where he wound up, some seventy-five kilometers away in another small village. Add the fact that Genma couldn't exactly recall the roads he had taken and he was faced with the prospect of searching an area that was almost a thousand square kilometers in size. A daunting task for any man.

So he decided to start from the beginning.

It had taken him three days after stashing the yatai in a bamboo grove to get back here from the village he wound up in just using back roads and foot paths.

In hindsight running along major highways while pulling a yatai that went clackety-clack wasn't a very good idea as it attracted the kind of attention Genma neither wanted nor needed. He thanked his lucky stars he didn't meet any police officers along the way. He had to be careful. One never knew if any of them still remembered the trio who left a trail of thievery and burglary along the length and breadth of Japan, not to mention countless acts of indecency.

Which was also the reason why he couldn't approach anyone in authority to help him locate his son.

A hand suddenly clapped Genma on his left shoulder sending the fat martial artist several meters up in the air clutching his chest in fright and taking a couple of decades off his life.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

He landed on his back and saw to his chagrin who had clapped him. It was the girl's father, Akira Kounji(1). _Great! Just great!_ He groaned. _Well, at least it isn't the police._ He took several deep breaths to recover his wits.

"Genma! What are you doing here? I thought you left three days ago with Ranma and Ukyou." Akira looked around. "Where are Ranma and Ukyou? I want to say goodbye to them properly, especially Ukyou." _I might not have another chance. _He forced himself not to show any emotion on his face to Genma.

"Uh, Akira-san. Hehe. How good to see you! Just the man I was looking for." Genma lied nervously. "Um, about the kids, er, well I... left them... left them at a shrine! That's it! I left them at a shrine with a priest to train them! Yes! Yes! That's it! Hehe." He was sweating profusely by now. "I wanted to see how you were doing so I can tell Ukyou."

Akira Kounji looked at his future in-law strangely then shrugged. He was used to Genma's strange behavior by now. "Well, why don't we go to the shrine then? I really want to say goodbye to them."

Genma paled. "Uh, we can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Uh, the priest said, um, they can't be disturbed until the training's over!"

"Oh." Akira was disappointed. "How long do you think that'll be?"

"The priest, um, wasn't sure but he said to check back every..." Genma thought of a suitable but believable length of time to discourage the other man from pursuing the matter. "six months! Yes, that's it! The priest said to come back every six months!"

Akira looked doubtful. "That long?"

"Yes! That long! I'm sure that's what the priest said!"

Ukyou's father sighed sadly. If what the doctor told him was correct he wouldn't see his daughter again. "I see."

"Um, Kounji-san, are you all right?" Genma did not fail to note the sudden shift in mood.

"Nothing, Genma. Nothing for you to worry about." Akira changed the subject. "So what are your plans till then?"

"Uh, um, I hadn't thought about that."

Akira smirked. It was so typical of Genma not to plan ahead. "Well, then why don't you stay here with me while you wait?" He suggested.

"Ah, no. I can't do that."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Uh, um, you see, I just wanted to see how you were doing before going on to the next training ground I'll be taking the children to."

"Oh, scouting it out first, eh?." So the man did know how to plan ahead. The bearded man smiled as a thought came to him. "You know, I haven't really had a good vacation since my wife died and since nothing is keeping me around here anymore I think I'll come with you."

Genma's eyes bugged out. He tried to come up with a reason for the other man not to accompany him. "Uh, it'll be a difficult trip."

Akira thought for a moment. "Well, if you're considering taking the children there then I see no reason for me not to be able to handle it."

"Uh..." The fat man's brain stuttered as it tried to come up with another reason.

"It's settled then." Ukyou's father clapped Ranma's father on the back again. "I'll just tie up a few loose ends and pack a few things and then we can go." With that Akira began to lead Genma to small house he and Ukyou shared. "By the way, Genma, where's your pack?"

"..."

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Kimiko(2) clutched the kitchen counter as she another bout of coughing came over her as she tried to make breakfast for her small family. When she took away her hand from her mouth she grimaced as she saw blood on in her palm. _At least the pain is tolerable._

"Mommy?"

The little voice made the woman turn to see her three daughters looking at her with worry from the doorway. She put on the most reassuring smile she could. "What is it, Kasumi?" She grimaced internally when she heard running footsteps come from the direction of the dojo.

"Kimiko!" Soun nearly shouted as he burst into the kitchen from the doorway to the backyard. "What are you doing up!" He asked with some anger when he saw what his sick wife was trying to do.

Kimiko held up a hand but Soun was not to be denied. He quickly gathered his struggling wife in his arms and carried her past their children and up the stairs to their bedroom. After he gently deposited her on the bed, she immediately tried to rise, only to have Soun restrain her.

"Kimiko, what do you think you're trying to do?"

"Trying to make breakfast for my family!" Kimiko replied almost petulantly.

"But the doctors said to rest and save your strength..."

"Save for what, Soun?" Kimiko retorted a bit too harshly than she intended. "The cancer's already spread too much in my body! I'd rather spend my last days doing what I always did for my family than wither away and...

"NO!" Soun roared taking his wife by surprise. "You will not wither away and die, Kimiko! Not while I still breath!"

Kimiko's eyes softened and she reached out to caress the face of the man she loved. "No, Soun. You have done enough. I will not see you ruin our family trying to fight a lost cause."

"But..."

"No."

"You can't just give up, Kimiko!" Soun yelled with some anger. "If you give up what will happen to our children? What will happen to me?" He whimpered.

"We have done all we..."

"No, we haven't! There's still that water in Ryugenzawa, that Holy Tree in Okayama, the shrine in..."

Kimiko pressed a finger to the lips of her husband, silencing him. "Soun. I love you and I am happy that you would move Heaven and Earth to find a cure for me but..."

"Just one last try, Kimiko! Please, just one last try! Let's go to Ryugenzawa! I heard..."

"Soun..."

"For our girls, Kimiko? Please?"

The woman sighed from where she lay on their bed. "Very well, Soun. One last try. We'll go to Ryugenzawa and try to find the miracle water you've been talking about."

Soun moved to hug the woman he loved more than any other but Kimiko held up a hand.

"But promise me that if it does not work you will take care of our babies, Soun."

"But it'll work! I know..."

"Soun!" Kimiko raised her voice. She did not like doing it to her husband who seemed to take her illness worse than anyone else including herself but for her peace of mind she had to know Soun would take care of their family. "Soun, promise me." She continued more softly. "Promise me you'll take care of our babies."

"I..." The rest was lost as the man frantically hugged his wife, trying to deny the hopelessness of the situation. Kimiko sighed and hugged back, trying to comfort her husband.

In the hallway, Kasumi quietly slid close the door to her parents' room. She tried to put on a brave face for her sisters who stood behind her. She could she the worry and confusion on their faces. She took their hands and led them away.

"Nabiki, Akane?"

The two younger girls looked up to her.

"Why don't we make mommy some cookies? I'm sure she'll feel much better after." Kasumi suggested to take her sisters' minds off what they just heard. It seemed to work as Nabiki and Akane smiled and nodded.

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Ranma and Ukyou sat side by side by their campfire as they waited for their dinner to be cooked. It had already been a couple of weeks since the two had started on their quest to catch up with Ranma's father. Tonight, supper consisted of some sweet potatoes they had dug up as they were both tired of eating instant ramen all the time.

They would have more to eat if Ukyou hadn't drilled into the boy's head, using the staff she was using in lieu of her battle spatula, on the third day of their journey that stealing food like what he did with her and her father's yatai was wrong, no ifs or buts, when he tried to teach her how to do it in another small village. Ranma had argued he and his father did it all the time but the girl didn't budge. In the end the two compromised. They would do as Ranma said if they couldn't get food any other way.

Which made Ukyou glad Ranma had listened to his father when he taught him how to forage for food. Catching fish and hunting small animals like rabbits and wild chicken, on the other hand, was proving to be more difficult though Ranma and Ukyou were confident once they mastered the Kounji's throwing techniques using the nails they picked up along the way they would have all the fish and meat they wanted.

"Ranchan?" Ukyou asked.

"Yeah, Ucchan?"

"How long do you think until we catch up with your papa?"

"I dunno, Ucchan. Why, bored already?"

"No! I'm having lots of fun, Ranchan!" And that the girl was. After her initial misgivings, Ukyou couldn't help but be infected by her friend's sense of adventure. So far nothing bad had happened and they weren't going hungry. _Ranchan sure knows a lot of neat stuff._ Not to mention all the techniques the two of them were learning from the scrolls and manuals in Genma's pack. Of course, more often than not, Ukyou was the one reading them since she was the better reader(4). Even then she had difficulty reading all the scrolls or manuals. "But I wonder where your papa is."

"Me, too, Ucchan."

"Why don't we go back to my papa?"

"We tried, didn't we? We got lost, too."

"And just who's fault is that?"

"I know, I know. Ya don't have ta rub it in my face, y'know."

Ukyou giggled. It was fun having something like that over her friend.

"Let's ask a policeman for help, Ranchan."

"Ucchan, I already told you what my poppa said about asking policemen for help. Poppa said never, ever ask any of them for help."

The girl sighed. She still wondered why Uncle Genma would warn Ranchan to stay away from adults especially police officers and other authority figures. Maybe Uncle Genma was just being careful. Her father did say never talk to strangers.

"Ya know, Ucchan, I still can't believe yer actually a girl."

"How many times do I have to hit you on the head for you to believe I'm a girl, Ranchan?"

"No! No! I believe ya! No need ta hit me!" Ranma waved his hands around defensively. "It's just that..."

"What, Ranchan?"

"Well, um, pops always said girls were weak and stupid and stuff and that they make boys weak, stupid and stuff."

"And what do you think, Ranchan?"

"Well, yer okay, Ucchan... I mean, yer not as good as I am but ya ain't weak and stupid and stuff. Are ya sure yer not a boy who just thinks he's a girl?"

Bop!

"Ow!"

"What do you mean I'm not as good as you!"

"Well, yer not." Ranma flatly replied.

"Take that back!"

"Make me if ya can!"

After a brief scuffle Ranma pinned Ukyou to the ground by sitting on her back.

"Hah! I win again!"

Ukyou growled menacingly as she glared daggers over her shoulder at the insufferably smug boy sitting in a lotus position over her. "Ooohhh... one of these days, Ranchan, one of these days..." She waved her small fist in a threatening manner.

"Mebbe, Ucchan, mebbe..."

"Will you get off me!"

"Yeah, yeah." He helped his friend up. "Anyway, Ucchan, are ya really, really, **really** sure ya ain't a boy?"

"Yes I'm sure because I already showed you I don't have a peepee like you do!"

"Well, maybe you're a boy that just doesn't have a peepee. It could happen y'know." Ranma scratched his head. "I think."

Ukyou facefaulted. It was times like this that she wondered what she liked in the boy. She picked herself up. "Whatever. Let's just eat dinner, okay, Ranchan?"

"So , Ranchan, which technique do you want to learn?" Ukyou asked after dinner.

"I dunno, Ucchan. All of them looks neat." Ranma replied as he reached into his father's pack for the scrolls and manuals. He looked at all the pretty pictures in them before. He laid them out on the ground where the light from the campfire illuminated them. He picked one up. "How about this... ca... ca..." He stumbled how to read the kanji.

"Catfist." Ukyou supplied for him when she looked over.

"Yeah, catfist. You're so smart, Ucchan. If you weren't here I wouldn't understand even half of these." He indicated the manuals and scrolls.

Ukyuo blushed at the praise. "Nah. I'm still learning to read myself."

"Nah, you're really smart. Anyway, why don't we try that?"

Ukyou studied the manual for a few minutes as she tried to read it, turning the manual this way and that. "I don't know, Ranchan. I think it's kinda complicated. Why don't we try something else?"

"Like what?"

"How about..." Ukyou looked over the various scrolls and manuals. "...this?"

Ranma looked hard at the scroll's title, trying to decipher the characters. "Prayin' mantis style?"

"Yeah." Ukyou flipped through the pages. "Seems simple enough."

"Well, if it's fine with ya then it's fine with me!"

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"Okay then! We'll start first thing in the morning!"

Ranma whooped. "Alright!"

"Too bad, though." Ukyou mused as she picked up the book on the catfist again. "The manual says the catfist is invincible."

That made Ranma pause. He brought his upraised fist down. "Invincible?" He asked as a certain gleam came into his eyes.

"Yeah. Maybe we try it some other time, Ranchan."

"Why not now?"

"I already told you. It's kinda complicated."

"How complicated?"

"Well, if I read this right, we need to dig a hole big enough for us and some kitties. See?" The girl showed Ranma a crude diagram of the pit in the manual. "Then we need to get some kitties and starve them. I don't think I can to do that to the poor kitties, Ranchan."

"But we're not really hurtin' 'em, right, Ucchan? We can always feed the kitties later, right?"

"But..."

"Jes think how proud our poppas are gonna be if we master the catfist and become invincible, Ucchan!"

"I still don't know, Ranchan."

"Oh, com' on. Don't ya wanna be invincible?"

Ukyou began to sweatdrop. Her friend had that look in his eyes when he was excited and would not be denied. She sighed. She knew Ranma wouldn't stop pestering her until they tried it at the least. "Okay. I'll try to read more about it tomorrow, all right?"

"Yippee!" Ranma jumped to his feet and raised his fist into the air before bending down and hauling his friend to her feet while hugging her. "Yer the best, Ucchan!"

Ukyou blushed in the arms of her friend. "Okay! Okay! Let's sleep early so we can start early tomorrow, Ranchan."

"Anythin' ya say, Ucchan!"

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"Shampoo, I love you!" Mousse paused in his glomp as he felt something off about his love. "Shampoo, what big nose you have..."

Klong!

"Stupid Mousse!" Shampoo said in annoyance as she lifted her training bonboris from the prone boy's head. "I do not look like a pig!" She sent a glare towards the snickering group of girls who comprised her sparring partners and friends as they paused on their way to the training area. Shampoo hmphed as her gesture only made the girls snicker louder.

"Really, Shampoo, if you don't like Mousse, why don't you just tell him?" Perfume said once they were on their way again.

"What do you think I've been trying to do, Perfume? He just won't listen!"

"Maybe you hit him a little too hard before so he's hard of hearing as well."

Cologne sighed and shook her head when she heard what her great-granddaughter and her friends were talking about as she waited for them to come before her in the training area.

"Matriarch! Matriarch!"

The urgent tone of the voice made Cologne turn sharply towards the messenger.

"What is it, Alcohol?" She asked the breathless warrior who looked like someone who just ran a marathon.

"It's... it's your granddaughter, Matriarch!"

The reply made Cologne's blood run cold.

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Comb(3) dodged another hail of bullets around a large granite boulder as she carried the unconscious and seriously wounded Brush in a fireman's carry. A grunt escaped her lips as she felt a bullet graze her left calf. She fell heavily to her side with Brush tumbling bonelessly from her back.

_Damned cowardly males!_ Comb cursed under her breath as she propped up her friend against the boulder. She ignored the pain and blood in her calf and checked Brush's condition. Another curse escaped her lips as she realized her friend would not last long without proper medical attention. She sent another prayer that her signal arrow was seen and reinforcements were on the way. _Until then I will have to repel the bandits alone._ She searched for the most defensible position and settled for a low, rock strewn rise about a hundred meters away.

She sent a small Chi blast in her pursuers direction to slow them down before picking up her friend again and prepared for the sprint to where she had chosen to make her stand.

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Cologne cursed and prayed as she pogoed rapidly towards the area where Alcohol said her granddaughter was engaged in combat with a band of bandits just within the boundaries of Joketsuzoku territory from the fire arrow signal they had spotted. Behind her a full platoon of Joketsuzoku warriors tried to keep pace with her. The elder could hear the staccato of small arms fire and the explosions of Chi attacks off in the distance and estimated they were still a good ten kilometers from the battle site.

_Dear goddess, let me be in time._ She thought over and over.

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_Must I outlive all my daughters, goddess? What have I done to be punished so?_ Cologne asked bitterly as she gazed at the bullet riddled body of her granddaughter. She allowed the younger warriors to mop up the surviving bandits behind and paid no heed to the occasional scream. They deserved no sympathy. From the caged women they had freed, it was easy enough to surmise the dead bandits' trade was slavery, raiding remote villages for their... merchandise.

"Matriarch?" A voice pulled the ancient woman out her reverie.

Cologne turned to see Alcohol standing a respectful distance away. "Yes, warrior?"

"The bandits have all been taken care of, Matriarch."

"Very well. Burn their bodies and let us return to our village with our fallen warriors."

"As you wish, Matriarch." The younger woman turned to do the elder's commands leaving the older woman to her melancholy, knowing the woman's only comfort was the knowledge her granddaughter died a warrior's death and had taken several of the bandits with her.

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"Mama?" Cologne flinched at the little girl's voice behind her. She turned from her granddaughter's body and spared a harsh glare at her son-in-law who was scrambling to stop his daughter from approaching before focusing her attention on her great granddaughter, her only living blood relative left.

"Shampoo, you shouldn't be here, dear."

"But, mama..." Shampoo began in a quivering voice as she tried to get a glimpse of her mother past the adults who surrounded her mother. She felt a hands on her shoulders and looked up into the face of her father.

"Shampoo, your mother needs her rest." Hairbrush gently and soothingly said to his only child. "Come and I'll make you your favorite snack." His heart clenched in his chest as he saw the uncertainly in his daughter's eyes. At some level he knew his daughter knew. Death was all too common in their way of life. He felt the eyes of every woman warrior in the room on him, but especially his wife's grandmother. He gently turned the little girl around so that she faced him and knelt down so their eyes were level. He fought back the tears in his own eyes. He had to be strong.

"Shampoo?"

"Yes, papa?" The quiver in the voice did not escape notice.

_How do you tell a child her mother is not coming back?_ Hairbrush asked himself as he looked into the depths of those wide, innocent eyes. Innocence he knew would be gone far too soon. Finding no words, Hairbrush did the best he could do. He smiled as reassuringly as he could and hugged his daughter tight. He began to sob quietly as he felt his daughter hug back. He needed the comfort as much as she did.

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Lychee(5) petted Jasmine affectionately on the head after the massive elephant stepped off their small boat onto Japanese soil after the short trip across the Sea of Japan. The elephant trumpeted happily in return.

After a couple of minutes of petting the elephant, the young six year old girl looked uncertainly around the desolate beach in the pre-dawn hours. _Where do I start?_ She asked herself, full of doubt, as she gripped tightly to her chest the half-scroll her grandmother had given her. _How do I find Happosai?_ She wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall when she felt Jasmine nudge her in worry. She smiled back at the concerned look on her companion. "I'm okay, Jasmine." She reassured while again petting the elephant which seemed to reassure the gentle giant. "Well, let's go. We won't find Happosai just standing around."

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End Chapter One.

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Author's notes.

First, I'd like to thank all those who took the time and make the effort to submit reviews. I love having my ego stroked. Joke. Seriously speaking, I really give your reviews importance as it's the only way for me to know what you readers think.

Well, I've neglected this story long enough and I'm again having writer's block on my two main stories, A Mother's Tale and A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, so I decided to dust this off for now. But don't worry, faithful readers, I'm working on them. Really, I am. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this one as well. And if anyone can suggest some good hentai anime or manga I'm sure they'll go a long way in helping dislodge my writer's block. No, really.

1, 2, 3. I don't know if the name of Ukyou's father was ever mentioned in the manga or anime. The name Akira was used in several fanfictions I read before so I used that as well. I saw no reason not to. Same goes for Kimiko and Comb. I think the fanfictions were by Jim Bader and/or Gregg Sharp.

4. I'm making Ukyou able to read better than the average six year old. Why? Well, I think I remember my nephew being able to read the captions of photos in magazines when he was six. I know Kanji is a lot more difficult to master than the English alphabet but I think Ryu Kumon was able to read Genma's Yamasenken scroll all by himself. At least I'm assuming that since his father looked liked he was close to death in the manga when he gave the scroll to Ryu.

5. Well, I'm taking liberties with Lychee and Jasmine. It was never mentioned in the movie whether that was their first and only visit to Japan. Heck, for all we know the two have been wondering in Japan since she was six. I think it's reasonable to assume that when Lychee started her ten year quest for Happosai she'd start in the old perv's home country to look for him. I added her early so I'll have a way for the kids to travel back and forth between China and Japan. Much more adventures that way. Imagine the kids going to Jusenkyou, Nichieju, Mt. Phoenix, the Musk Citadel or even Nekonron.

Looks like Genma is going on some of his own adventures very unwillingly. Will he be able to dump Akira along the way and resume his search for Ranma?

Ranma and Ukyou are going to try the catfist. Who will try it first? Ranma,of course. Will he master it? Well, you think he'll let a few scratches stop him? And do six year olds know what the word insane means?

Shampoo's mother has died. Poor Shampoo. How about Mrs. Tendou? Will she be saved or suffer the same fate? What about the Kunous? And Nodoka? What have they been doing before the start of the series? Happosai... um, scratch that last one. Or maybe not. Who knows, Ranma and company might release the old lech early. Lychee is looking for him after all. Shudder.

So who else will we be seeing as a kid in the next chapter? Ryu Kumon? Ryouga? Natsumi and Kurumi? How about Konatsu? Pantyhose Taro?

As usual, reviews are always welcome.

And in case any of you get the itch to write, I've posted this also on Anime Addventure so you contribute there. Here's the link

h t t p / a d d v e n t u r e . b a s t – e n t e r p r i s e s. d e / 1 5 0 8 1 3 . h t m l

Just remove the spaces.


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